Kona Lava Dome

Which came first, knobblies on road bikes or drop bars on mountain bikes? Cyclocross is currently experiencing a global surge in popularity and with it, a trend of mashing together roadies and mountain bikes. While neither come close to the sport-specific nuances of a pure cyclocross machine, it’s a fun way of creating a bike that doesn’t have to stop when the pavement does.

The concept isn’t new, ideally the donor bike shouldn’t be, either. Daryl Griffith was scratching through the local scrap metal yard and discovered a mid-90s Kona Lava Dome, which he dragged home and stripped the frame of parts and the stock orange paint. After a botched attempt at a re-paint, the project went into hibernation. 10 years or so later, Daryl resurrected the frame and components.

First, Daryl took to the frame with a wire wheel on a grinder before applying a clear coat. “The original wheel set went missing over the years so they were replaced. From the original bike, I used the fork, brakes and seat post. The only new components were the shifters, stem and chain — every thing else was recycled. I made the adapter from an old stem to run the newer 1” style stem and head set.

Purists may sneer, but no claims were made to winning races. This is pure ghettocross — pure fun. Big thanks to Darryl Griffith for the photos.